Cancer Cells Accelerate Aging and Inflammation

It is crucial manage inflammation to control cancer.

Inflammation is both causes and is caused by Cancer. We now know that cancer cells are accelerating aging and inflammation, which is making nutrients to feed more cancer cells.

It makes a difference to eat an anti inflammatory diet and include foods, nutrients and herbs that support the bodies own ability to lower inflammation.

Here is an excerpt from an article recently published by Medical News Today

Cancer Cells Accelerate Aging And Inflammation In The Body To Drive Tumor Growth

28 May 2011.

Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have shed new light on the longstanding conundrum about what makes a tumor grow and how to make it stop. Interestingly, cancer cells accelerate the aging of nearby connective tissue cells to cause inflammation, which ultimately provides “fuel” for the tumor . In this simple model, our bodies provide nourishment for the cancer cells, via chronic inflammation.

“People think that inflammation drives cancer, but they never understood the mechanism,” said Michael P. Lisanti, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and a member of the Kimmel Cancer Center.”What we found is that cancer cells are accelerating aging and inflammation, which is making high-energy nutrients to feed cancer cells.”

In normal aging, DNA is damaged and the body begins to deteriorate because of oxidative stress. “We are all slowly rusting, like the Tin-man in the Wizard of Oz,” Dr. Lisanti said. “And there is a very similar process going on in the tumor’s local environment.” Interestingly, cancer cells induce “oxidative stress,” the rusting process, in normal connective tissue, in order to extract vital nutrients.
Dr. Lisanti and his team previously discovered that cancer cells induce this type of stress response (autophagy) in nearby cells, to feed themselves and grow.

“Nobody fully understands the link between aging and cancer,” said Dr. Lisanti, who used pre-clinical models, as well as tumors from breast cancer patients, to study these mechanisms. “What we see now is that as you age, your whole body becomes more sensitive to this parasitic cancer mechanism, and the cancer cells selectively accelerate the aging process via inflammation in the connective tissue.”

This helps explain why cancers exist in people of all ages, but susceptibility increases as you age. If aggressive enough, cancer cells can induce accelerated aging in the tumor,regardless of age, to speed up the process.

The researchers  also find that oxidative stress is a common “driver” for both dementia and cancer cell spreading.

“If lethal cancer is a disease of “accelerated aging” in the tumor’s connective tissue, then cancer patients may benefit from therapy with strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs,” said Dr. Lisanti. “Antioxidant therapy will “cut off the fuel supply” for cancer cells.” Antioxidants also have a natural anti-inflammatory action.

The researchers’ findings were published online June 1st in the journal Cell Cycle in three separate papers.

Antioxidants come from plant foods and plant medicines. Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables and in herbal medicines. Eating a diet that is rich in deeply colored fruits and vegetables is naturally high in antioxidants. Eat a rainbow of colors everyday.

Berries, pomegranates, tomatoes, carrots, yams, kale, brocolli, red cabbage, apricots, plums, spinach, canteloupe, watermelon, bell peppers, tangerines, mangos…. the list is endless.  Make sure your plate cis full of color.

Culinary herbs and spices are also rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that are also known to have anti-cancer activity. Include a wide variety of herbs and spices in your food and your food becomes medicine. Use tumeric, ginger, thyme, oregano, basil, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, lavender, parsley ..and the list goes on.

In addition, healthy fats and oils support anti-inflammatory function. Include healthy fats in your diet every day: cold water fish (salmon, cod, sardines, mackerel), high Omega 3 eggs, cold pressed and unheated olive oil, flax oil, walnuts, almonds, almond butter, tahini (from sesame), sunflower seeds, avocados.

All of these foods and herbs have anti cancer properties. Ultimately, your food is your medicine.
Source: Thomas Jefferson University

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Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.